MOBILITY

Appasaba.L.V
Intro……
 As a part of career management, companies move the employees
from one level to the another level and from one job to another job
at the same level.
 An employee prefers internal mobility as long as he is sure of
getting suitable placement/employment within the organization.
Similarly, organizations may resort to internal mobility until they
find suitable candidate to different jobs.
 External mobility refers to movement of an employee from one
organization to another seeking better placement based on his skills
and the requirements and needs of various organizations.
(A) INTERNAL MOBILITY
Internal mobility is needed because of the following
reasons:
 Changes in job structure, job design, job grouping etc.
 Changes in technology, mechanization etc. resulting in
enhancement of job demands.
 Expansion and diversification of production/operations.
 Adding different lines of auxiliary and supportive activities.
 Taking up of geographical expansion' and diversification.
 Introduction of creative and innovative ideas in all the areas of
management resulting in increased job demands.
 Changes in employee skill, knowledge, abilities, aptitude, values
etc.
 Changing demands of trade unions regarding protecting the
interests of their members.
 Changing government role in human resources management.
 Problem of maintenance of interpersonal relations and sound
human relations.
 Social and religious conditions of the employees or the region.
 Purposes of Internal Mobility
 To improve the effectiveness of the organization
 To maximize the employee efficiency
 To ensure discipline
 To adapt organizational changes.
B) Promotions
Intro……
 When there are vacancies in an organization, they can be filled up
by internal or external candidates.

 Though the organization prefers to fill up the vacancies by the

external candidates through the selection procedure, the internal
candidates may also apply for the post and may be tested 'and
selected for a higher level job in the organizational hierarchy at par
with external candidates.
 Is such upward movement of an employee a promotion? Or is it
purely selection?
 It is purely a 'selection.' If the organization prefers to fill a
vacancy only by the internal candidates, it assigns that higher
level job to the selected employee from within through
promotional tests. Such upward movement can be said as
'promotion.'
Meaning:
Charles A. Myers, "Promotion is advancement of an employee to a
better job - better in terms of greater responsibility, more prestige
or status, greater skill and especially increased rate of pay or
salary."

Conditions of promotion are:

 Reassignment of higher level job to an employee than what he is
presently performing.

 The employee will naturally be delegated with greater

responsibility and authority than what he has had earlier.
 Promotion normally accompanies higher pay. It means that in
some cases, the employees perform higher level job and receive
the
salary related to the lower level job.
 For example, if a University Professor is promoted to the next
higher level of the faculty position, i.e., Dean of the faculty, he
will not receive any increase in salary. Such promotion is called
dray promotion.
 Types of Promotion
 Vertical Promotion: Under this type of promotion, employee is
moved to the next higher level, in the organizational hierarchy with
greater responsibility, authority, pay and status.

 Up gradation: Under this type of promotion, the job is upgraded in

the organizational hierarch Consequently, the employee gets more
salary, higher authority and responsibility. For example, the jot of
medical officer in Railways which was in Group C is upgraded as
Group B position.

 Dry Promotion: Under this promotion, the employee is moved to

the next higher level" the organizational hierarchy with greater
responsibility, authority and status without any increase'" salary.
 Purposes of Promotion
Organizations promote the employees with a view to achieve the
following purposes:

 To utilize the employee's skill, knowledge at the appropriate level

in the organizational hierarchy resulting in organizational
effectiveness and employee satisfaction.

 To develop competitive spirit and inculcate the zeal in the

employees to acquire the skills knowledge etc. required by higher
level jobs.

 To develop competent internal source of employees ready to take

up job at higher levels the changing environment.
 To promote employees' self development and make them await
their turn of promotions reduces labour turnover.
 To promote a feeling of contentment with the existing conditions
of the company and a sense of belongingness.
 To promote interest in training, development programmes and in
team development areas.
 To build loyalty and to boost morale.
 To reward committed and loyal employees.
 Bases of Promotion
a) Merit
b) Seniority
c) Merit-cum ­seniority

a) Merit as a Basis of Promotion: Merit is taken to denote an

individual employee's skill, knowledge, ability, efficiency and
aptitude as measured from educational, training and past
employment record.
 Advantages
 The resources of higher order of an employee can be better utilized
at higher level. It results in maximum utilization of human
resources in an organization.
 Competent employees are motivated to exert all their resources
and contribute them to the organizational efficiency and
effectiveness.
 Further it continuously encourage the employees to acquire new
skills, knowledge etc. for all-round development.
 Demerits

 Measurement or judging of merit is highly difficult.

 Many people, particularly trade union leaders, distrust the

management's integrity in judging merit.

 Merit denotes mostly the past achievement, efficiency but not the
future success. Hence, the purpose of promotion may not be
served if merit is taken as the sole criteria for promotion.
B) Seniority as a Basis of Promotion :Seniority refers to relative
length of service in the same job and in the same organization.

 The logic behind considering the seniority as a basis of promotion

is that there is a positive correlation between the length of service
in the same job and the amount of knowledge and the level of
skill acquired by an employee in an organization.

 This system is also based on the custom that the first in should be
given first chance in all benefits and privileges.
 Advantages
 It is relatively easy to measure the length of service and judge the
seniority.

 There would be full support of the trade unions to this system.

 Every party trusts the management's action as there is no scope for

favoritism and discrimination and judgment.

 It gives a sense of certainty of getting promotion to every

employee and of their turn of promotion.
 Senior employees will have a sense of satisfaction to this system
as the older employees are respected and their inefficiency
cannot be pointed out.
 It minimizes the scope for grievances and conflicts regarding
promotion.
 Limitations.

 Employees learn up to a certain age and beyond that stage, the

learning ability that is the cognitive process diminishes.

 It de motivates the young and more competent employees and

results in employee turnover particularly among the dynamic force.

 It kills the zeal and interest to develop as everybody will be

promoted with or without improvement.
C) Seniority-cum-Merit
 Combination of both seniority and merit can be considered as the
basis for promotion satisfying the management for organizational
effectiveness and the employees and trade union for respecting the
length of service.

 A balance between seniority and merit should be struck and new

basis developed. There are several ways in striking the balance
between these two bases:
1) Minimum Length of Service and Merit: Under this method, all
those employees who complete the minimum service, say five
years, are made eligible for promotion and then merit is taken as
sole criteria for selecting the employee for promotion from the
eligible candidates.
Eg: Most of the commercial banks in India have been following
this method for promoting the employees from clerk's position to
officer's position.
2) Minimum Merit and Seniority: In contrast to the earlier methods,
minimum score of merit which is necessary for the acceptable
performance on future job is determined and all the candidate
who secure minimum scores are declared as eligible candidates.
Candidates are selected _ promotion based on their seniority only
from the eligible candidates.
 Benefits of Promotion
 Promotion places the employees in a position where an employee's
skills and knowledge be better utilized
 It creates and increases the interest of other employees in the
company as they believe they will also get their turn
 It increases interest in acquiring higher qualifications, in training
and in self development a view to meet the requirements of
promotion;
 Promotion improves employee morale and job satisfaction
 Ultimately it improves organizational health.
 Problems with Promotion
 Glass Ceiling: Glass ceiling is an invisible barrier to promotion
based on race, com tribe, nationality, gender etc. This term is
used widely in multinational corporate.
 Promotion Disappoints some Employees : Some employees who
are not promoted will be disappointed when their colleagues with
qualifications and experience are promoted either due to
favoritism or due to the lack of systematic promotion policy.
Employees may develop negative attitude and reduce their
contributions organization and prevent organizational and
individual advancement.
 Some Employees Refuse Promotion : There is a general
tendency that an employee accepts promotion. But there are
several incidents where employees refuse promotions. These
incidents include promotion together with transfer to an
unwanted place, promotion to that level where the employee feels
that he will be quite incompetent to carry out the job, delegation
of unwanted responsibilities and when trade union leaders feel
that promotion causes damage to their position in the trade union.
 Promotion Principles
 It should be consistent in the sense that policy should be applied
uniformly to all employees irrespective of the background of the
persons.

 It should be fair and impartial.

 Systematic line of promotion channel should be incorporated.

 It should provide equal opportunities for promotion in all

categories of jobs, departments and regions of an organization.
 It should contain clear cut norms and criteria for judging merit,
length of service, potentiality etc.

 Appropriate authority should be entrusted with the task of making

a final decision.

 Favoritism should not be taken as a basis for promotion,

 Transfer
Transfer is defined as “ a lateral shift causing movement of
individuals from one position to another usually without involving
any marked change in duties, responsibilities, skills needed or
compensation."
 Reasons of Transfer
 To meet the organizational requirements
 To satisfy the employees' needs
 To utilize employee's skill, knowledge etc. where they are more
suitable or badly needed
 To improve employee's background by placing him in different
jobs of various department units, regions etc
 To correct inter-personal conflicts
 To adjust the workforce of one section/plant in other section/plant
during lay-off, closure adverse business conditions or
technological change
 To give relief to the employees who are overburdened or doing
complicated or risky work a long period
 To punish the employees who violate the disciplinary rules
 To help the employees whose working hours or place of work is
inconvenient to them
 To minimize fraud, bribe etc. which result due to permanent stay
and contact of on employee with customers, dealers, suppliers etc.
 Types of Transfers
 Production transfer : transfers caused due to changes in
production.
 Replacement transfer: transfers caused due to initiation or
replacement of a long standing employee in the same job.
 Rotation transfers: initiated to increase the versatility of
employees
 Shift transfer: transfer of an employee from one shift to
another.
 Remedial transfer: transfers initiated to correct the wrong
placements
 Penal transfer: transfers initiated as a punishment for in
disciplinary action of employee.
 Employee Initiated Transfer
These transfers are also known as personal transfers. These
transfers are primarily· interest of the employee and according to
his convenience and desire.
a) Temporary Transfer:
 To ill health or involvement of employees in accidents,
 Due to family problems like taking care of old parents and
 Due to other ad hoc problems like pursuing higher education.
(b) Permanent Transfers: There are several reasons for employee
initiated permanent transfers. Employees prefer transfers:
 Due to chronic ill health or permanent disablement caused by
accident,
 Due to family problems like taking care of domestic affairs in his
native place,
 With a view to correct his wrong placement.
 In order to relieve himself from the monotony or boredom caused
due to doing the same job for years together.
 to avoid conflicts with his superiors.
 with a view to search for challenging and creative jobs
 with a view to search for a job with opportunities for advancement
to a higher level job, opportunities for financial gains etc.
 Company Initiated Transfers
(a) Temporary Transfers: Reasons for the company initiated
temporary transfers are:

 Due to temporary absenteeism of employees,

 Due to fluctuations in quality of production and thereby in work

load,

 Due to short vacations.

(b) Permanent Transfers: Reasons for the company initiated
permanent transfer are:
 Change in the quality of production, lines of activity, technology,
organizational
 Structure as discussed earlier,
 To improve the versatility of employees,
 To improve the employee's job satisfaction,
 To minimize bribe or corruption.
 Public Initiated Transfers
 If an employee's behavior in the society is against the social norms
or if he indulges in any social evils.
 If the functioning of an employee is against the public interest.
 Problems of Transfer:

 Adjustment problems to the employee to the new job, place,

environment, superiors colleagues,

 Transfers from one place to another cause much inconvenience and

cost to the employee

 His family members relating to housing, education of children ete.,

 Transfer from one place to another result in loss of man days,

 Company initiate transfers result in reduction in employee
contribution,

 Discriminatory transfers affect employee morale, job satisfaction,

commitment and contribution.
 Transfer Principle
 Specification of circumstances under which an employee will be
transferred in the case company initiated transfer.

 Specification of a superior who is authorized and responsible to

initiate a transfer.

 Jobs from and to which transfers will be made based on the job
specification, description classification etc.

 The region or unit of the organization within which transfers will

be administered.

 Reasons which will be considered for personal transfers, their

order of priority etc.
 Norms to decide priority when two or more employees request for
transfer like priori reason, seniority.

 Specification of basis for transfer like job analysis, merit and

length of service.

 Specification of pay, allowances, benefits etc. that are to be

allowed to the employee in new job.

 Other facilities to be extended to the transferee like special leave

during the period of transfer special allowance for packaging
luggage, transportation ete.
 Demotion
Demotion means the assignment of an individual to a job of lower
rank and pay usually involving lower level of difficulty and
responsibility.
CAUSES OF DEMOTION
 When employee becomes is proved inefficient
 When employee becomes physically disabled
 When a worker becomes permanently disabled
 When promotion was temporary
 Misuse of power
 Frequently indiscipline
 Government policy
EFFECT OF DEMOTION
 Reduction in salary and power
 It adversely affects the ego

 Negative feeling about the officers

 Reduces the zeal to do work

 Inspire fellow workers in the wrong direction

  ABSENTEEISM
 ABSENTEEISM is Failure of employees to report for work when
they are scheduled to work.
 Absenteeism is defined as the failure to report to work. And
absenteeism has become a huge cost and disruption to employers.
It’s obviously difficult for an organization to operate smoothly and
to attain its objectives if employees fail to report to their jobs
 Types of Absenteeism

Authorized absenteeism: If a employee absent

himself from work by taking permission from his
superior and applying for leave, such absenteeism
is called authorized absenteeism.
Unauthorized absenteeism: If an employee
absent himself from work without informing or
taking permission and with out applying the
leave, such absenteeism is called unauthorized
absenteeism.
 Willful absenteeism: If an employee absent
himself from duty willfully, such absenteeism is
called willful absenteeism.
 Absenteeism caused by circumstances one’s
control: If an employee an absent himself from
duty owing to the circumstances beyond the
control like involvement in accidents or sudden
sickness etc.
 Causes of absenteeism

1) Maladjustment with the working conditions: If the working

conditions of the company are poor, the workers cannot
adjust themselves with the company's working conditions.
Then they prefer to stay away from the company.

2) Social and religious ceremonies: Social and religious

functions divert the worker's attention from the work.

3) Unsatisfactory housing conditions at the work place.

4) Industrial fatigue: The industrial fatigue compels workers to

remain outside the work place.
5) Unhealthy working conditions: The poor and intolerable working
conditions in the factories irritate the workers. Excess heat, noise,
either too much or too low lighting, poor ventilation, dust, smoke
etc., cause poor health of the workers. These factors cause the
workers to be absent.

6) Poor welfare facilities: Though a number of legislations

concerning welfare facilities are enacted many organizations fail to
provide welfare facilities. This is either due to the poor financial
position of the companies or due to the exploitative attitude of the
employer. The poor welfare facilities include poor sanitation~
washing, bathing, first-aid appliances, ambulance, rest rooms,
drinking water, canteen, shelter, etc The dissatisfied workers with
these facilities prefer to be away from the work place.
7) Alcoholism: Workers mostly prefer to spend money on the
consumption of liquor and enjoyment after getting the wages.
Therefore, the rate of absenteeism is more during the first week of
every month.

8) Indebtedness: The low level wages and unplanned expenditure of

the workers force them to borrow heavily. The research studies
indicate that workers borrow more than 10 times of their net pay.
Consequently, workers fail to repay the money. Then they try to
escape from the place in order to avoid the moneylenders, this
leads to absenteeism.

9) Maladjustment with the job demands: The fast changing

technology demands higher level skills from the workers. Some
workers fail to meet these demands due to their lower level
education and/or absence of training.

10) Unsound personnel policies: The improper and unrealistic
personnel policies result in employee dissatisfaction. The
dissatisfied employee in turn prefers to be away from the work.

11) Inadequate leave facilities: The inadequate leave facilities

provided by the employer forces him to depend on E.S.1. leave
which allows the workers to be away from the work for 56 days in
a year on half pay.

12) Low level of wages: Wages in some organizations are very poor
and they are quite inadequate to meet the basic needs of the
employees. Therefore, employees go for other employment during
their busy seasons and earn more money. Further, some employees
take up part-time jobs. Thus, the employees resort to moonlighting
and absent themselves from work.
 Measures to Minimize Absenteeism

1) Selecting the employees by testing them thoroughly regarding

their aspirations, value systems, responsibility and sensitiveness.
2) Adopting a humanistic approach in dealing with the personal
problems of employees.
3) Providing hygienic working conditions.
4) Providing welfare measures and fringe benefits, balancing the
need for the employees and the ability of the organization.
5) Providing high wages and allowances based on the organizational
financial position.
6) Improving the communication network, particularly the upward
communication.
7) Providing leave facility based on the needs of the employees and
organizational requirement.
8) Providing safety and health measures.
9) Providing cordial human relations and industrial relations.
10) Educating the workers.
11) Counseling the workers about their career, income and
expenditure, habits and culture.
12) Free-flow of information, exchanging of ideas, problems etc.
between subordinate and superior.
13) Granting leave and financial assistance liberally in case of
sickness of employee and his family members.
14) Offering attendance bonus and inducements.
15) Providing extensive training, encouragement, special allowances
in cash for technological advancements.